Feeler mechanism for looms



APPLICATION FILED OCT-7,1919.

Patented Oct. 4,

. UNHTEQ TOFFEE,

ISAAC SNOW, 01E LAVJRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'IO DRAPER CORPORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF IVIAINE.

FEELER MECHANTSM FOR LOOP/TS.

neeasoa Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

Application filed October 7, 1919. Serial No. 328,978.

. of the United States, and a resident of Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,.have invented an Improvement in Feeler Mechanism for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to feeler mechanisms for looms, whereby, when the filling in the running shuttle reaches a degree of substantial exhaustion, a train of mechanism is set in operation for effecting replenishment of filling.

The object of the present invention is to provide afeeler mechanism which shall be simple in construction and effective and sensitive in operation.

An important feature of the invention consists of a feeler which is mounted for movement toward and from the front of the loom'and is provided with a feeler tip that has a rotary movement in a plane ex.- tending longitudinally of the shuttle and is held from such rotary movement by the filling when a working supply is present on a detecting beat and is freed to such rotary movement when, on a detecting beat, the filling is substantially exhausted. In the practical development of this feature of the invention, the feeler is mounted upon a carrier or stand and a feeler tip controller is associated therewith and has operative connection with the rotary feeler tip, the

construction being such that when, on a de-' tecting beat, a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle, the feeler and the controller move as a unit under the fron ward pressure of the surface within the shuttle, but when the filling is substantially exhausted the tip controller and feeler have relative movementas the feeler tip rotates to thereby cause a train of mechanism t efiect replenishment of filling.

Other features of the invention and novel combinations of parts will be hereinaft r described in connection with the accompanying drawings which show a good, practical form thereof. it

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the detecting'part of the loom showing more pan ticularly the feeler mechanism and its associated parts;

Fig. 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale showing the action of the feeler mechanism when a working supply of filling is present on a detecting beat; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the action of the feeler mechanism when the filling 1is substantially exhausted on a detecting oeat.

In the drawings the filling replenishing mechanism and other features of the loom construction which are not directly associated with the feeler mechanism, are omitted, since such portions of the loom construction are old and well-known.

The loom frame 1 has mounted thereon the brackets 2, one at each side of the loom, in which 'is journaled the transverse or rock shaft 3, of usual construction, and from which rises the arm' l to which is pivoted at 5 the latch 6, the end 7 of which is adapted at times to be engaged by an operating member 8. The operating member 8 may be the cam follower or a part connected thereto.

The lay is provided with the usual shuttle box '9, the front wall of which is slotted at 10 to register with a slot 11 in the wall of the shuttle 12 when the latter is in the detecting box. The shuttle 12 holds the usual filling carrier'or bobbin 13 on which the filling is wound, as usual.

Extending from the shipper stand 14: is an arm 15 provided with a slot 16 and to which is adjustably secured the feeler stand 17 by means of the bolt 18. The purpose of the feeler stand is to support the feeler and feeler controller in position to perform their respective functions and may be variously contrived, the form'of feeler stand shown constituting one good practical form of the invention. As a convenient means of connecting the feeler stand 17 to the arm 16 a bracket 19 may be interposed between the two and to which the feeler stand 17 may be connected by means of screws 20.

In the present instance of the invention the feeler stand 17 is provided with an upstanding fiange 21 at its rear portion and an upstanding flange 22 at its front portion, in which are guided, in the present instance of the invention, the feeler 23 and the controller 24. The feeler member 23 passes and 31. These rotary feeler tips are mounted upon the feeler for rotary movement in a plane extending longitudinally of the shuttle and may be connected to the feeler in any suitable manner. In the present instance, the rear end portion of the feeler is extended laterally and bifurcated at 32, the two rotary feeler tips and 31 being pivotally mounted at 33 and 34, respectively, in;

the bifurcation of the rear end portion of the feeler. V

Mounted upon the feeler stand for movment toward and from the front of the loom is thecontroller 24, hereinbefore mentioned, which passes through an opening in the rear flange 21, and has its front portion extending through an opening 35 in the front flange 32, a spring 36 being interposed between the shoulder 3'7 of the controller. Thus the feeler and the controller are each held normally in their rearward position under the impulse of their respective springs 27 and 36, but are free for frontward move m'ent.

Each of the rotary feeler tips 30 and 31 is provided with a series of filling engaging V teeth 38 which, on a detecting beat, engage a surface within the shuttle and,if a work ing supply of filling is present, the teeth sink into the filling and are held from r0- tary movement in a plane longitudinally of the shuttle. Each of the rotary feeler tips 30 and 31 is likewise provided with a series of teeth 39 which engage the teeth 40 formed on the rear end portion of the controller 24 which extends between the rotary feeler tips, the construction being such that When the rotary feeler tips 30 and 31 engage a working supply of filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat, and are thereby held from rotary movement in a plane extending longitudinally of the shuttle, the frontward movement of the lay causes the feeler to be v pushed frontwardly and, perforce, also the controller 24, so that the feeler 23 and the controller 24 move frontwardly simultaneously. l/Vhen, however, the filling has become substantially exhausted and the rotary feeler tips 30 and 31 are free to rotate or are not held from rotative movement in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle by the filling, the frontward pressure upon the rotary feeler tips causes a frontward movement of the feeler 23, while the controller 24, being held in its rear position by its other arm of the lever 42 is connected at 45 with a transmitter 46 which is itself conspring 36, causes rotativemovement'of the nected at 47 to a lever 48 pivoted at 49 to a stand 50 rising from the loom frame. A. finger 51 extends from the lever 48 beneath the latch 6, the construction being such that when the feeler and controller are relatively moved as hereinbefore pointed out, the lever 48 will be actuated to place the end 7 of the latch 6 in the path of movement of the o erating member 8 and thereby effect rep enishment of filling in a mannerwell un derstood. q

The rear flange 21 which extends upwardly from thefeeler stand may be provided with'guide-ways for v the feeler and controller, but in the present instance of the invention the flange 21 is slotted, as indicated at 25, Fig. 1, and pins52 are extended downwardly to form guiding walls for the feeler and controller. The controller has also a pin 53which limits its rearward movement. By making the rear flange '21 slotted as described, the lever 42 may be mounted for swinging movement" in the plane of the controller so that whenthe controller and feeler are relatively moved on a detecting'beat and filling is substantially exhausted, the end of the lever 42 may contactwith the side of the controller 24, as indicated in Fig 3, to thereby limit the movement between the feeler member and controller.

In the present instance of the invention the feeler is shown as having two rotary feeler tips mounted thereon and the controller operatively connected to both of the rotary feeler tips by passing between them. The effect of this is that the fine teethl38 of the rotary :feeler tips tend to move in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle transversely to the coils of filling thereon as the feeler moves frontwardly and due to the controller, 24 which is normally held rearwardlyby its spring 36. This transverse movement of the teeth 38 relative to the coils of filling, enables the rotary feeler tips to be held from rotary movement in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle when a working supply is present, and to cause frontward movement of the controller 24 by their operative engagement therewith through the teeth 3 9'and 40. When, however, the filling is substantially exhausted and the coils of filling no longer are able thus causing the feeler and controller to have relative movement. While the invention in its'preferred form contemplates the use of two rotary feeler tips mounted for 'rotary movement in a plane longitudinally of the shuttle, the number of feeler tips may be varied.

Claims:

1. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler movable toward and from the front of the loom, having two feeler tips each mounted for rotary movement in a plane extending longitudinally of the shuttle and held from such movementby the filling on adetecting beat until substantial exhaustion thereof, a feeler tip controllerhaving a portion extending between the two feeler tips and mounted for movement toward and from the front of the loom, connections between the rotary feeler tips and controller for effecting simultaneous frontward movement of the feeler and controller when a working supply of filling is present on a detecting beat and permitting relative movement of the feeler and controller when filling is substantially exhausted, and means operated by relative movement of the feeler and controller for efiecting replenishment of filling.

2. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler and a feeler tip controller mounted for movement toward and from the front of the loom, two rotary feeler tips mounted on the feeler, one at each side of the controller, toothed connections between the feeler tips and controller to cause simultaneous movement of the feeler and controller toward the front of the loom when a working supply of filling'is present in the shuttle and the rotary feeler tips are held from rotary movement by the filling and permit relative movement of the feeler and controller when the feeler tips are no longer held from rotary movement by the substantially exhausted filling, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler and controller are relatively moved.

3. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler having a feeler tip provided with a series of gear teeth and mounted for rotary movement in a plane extending longitudinally of the shuttle and held from such rotary movement by the filling on a detecting beat until. substantial exhaustion thereof, a controller having aseries of rack teeth which engage the gear teeth of the rotary feeler tip to cause simultaneous frontward movement of the feeler and controller by frontward pressure against the feeler tip when a working supply of filling is present and permit relative travel of the gear teeth of the feeler and rack teeth of the controller when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler and controller are relatively moved.

l. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler having a feeler tip providedwith gear teeth and mounted for rotary movement in a plane extending longitudinally of the shuttle and held from such rotary movement by the filling on a detecting beat until substantial exhaustion thereof, a controller mounted independently of the feeler and having rack teeth operatively engaging the teeth of the rotary feeler tip to cause simultaneous frontward movement of the feeler and controller when a working supply of filling is present and permit relative movement of the feeler and controller when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, means for yieldingly holding the feeler and controller in rear ward position, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler and controller are relatively moved.

5. In a feeler mechanism for looms, a feeler provided with a disk-like feeler tip mounted for rotary movement in a plane extending longitudinally of the shuttle and having a series of teeth, a controller movable relatively to the feeler and having teeth cooperating with the teeth of the feeler tip, yielding means tending to move the controller to rotate the feeler tip upon a detecting beat and prevented from effecting such movement by engagement of the feeler tip with the filling until substantial exhaustion thereof, and means operatively connected to the feeler and controller to be actuated by relative movement of the feeler and controller to effect replenishment of filling.

6. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler having a feeler tip provided with a series of gear teeth mounted for rotary movement in a plane extending longitudinally of the shuttle and held from 115 such rotary movement by the filling on a detecting beat until substantial exhaustion thereof, a feeler controller mounted independently of the feeler and having a series of rack teeth operatively engaged with the 120 gear teeth on the rotary tip, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the engaged teeth of the rotary tip and c0ntroller cause rotary movement of the tip on a detecting beat.

7 In a feeler mechanism for looms, a feeler provided with a pair of feeler tips mounted for rotary movement in a plane extending longitudinally of the shuttle, a controller movable relative to the feeler and 130 operatively connected to both of the feeler tips to rotate them in opposite directions,

yielding means, tending to move the controller to rotate the feeler tips due to frontward pressure upon the tips and prevented from effecting such movement by engagement of the feeler tips with the filling until substantial exhaustion thereof, and means actuated upon rotation of the feeler tips to effect replenishment of filling.

8. In a feeler mechanism for looms, a

feeler provided with a pair of feeler tips mounted for rotary movement in a plane extending longitudinally of the shuttle, a controller tending to rotate both of the feeler tips on each detecting beat due to frontward pressure upon the tips and prevented from eiiecting such rotary movement by engagement of the rotary tips with the filling until substantial exhaustion thereof, and means actuated upon rotation of the feeler tips by the controller due to frontward pressure upon the tips to efiect replenishment of filling; V V

9. In a feeler mechanism for looms, a feeler provided with a pair of feeler tips mounted for rotary movement in a. plane exname to this specification.

tending longitudinally of the shuttle. and

feeler tips with the filling until substantial exhaustion thereof, and means actuated upon 7 the rotation of the feeler tipstoefiect replenishment offilling. r V. a

10. In" a feeler mechanism for looms, a feeler provided with a pair of feeler tips rotatably mounted to engage the filling upon a detecting beat, a controller movable relative to the feeler'and operatively connected to the feeler tips, means acting uponthe controller tending to rotate the feeler' tips and prevented from eifecting said rotation by engagement of the .feeler tips with the filling until substantial exhaustion thereof, and means actuated upon the rotation 01": the feeler tips to effect replenishment of filling.

In testimonywhereof, I havesigned my ISAAC snow. 

